RICS Level 3 Building Survey in Daventry

Our RICS-qualified building surveyors carry out the most detailed visual inspection of all accessible parts of the property. That means the roof structure, loft, walls, floors, windows, external joinery, visible services and any reachable sub-floor space, with extra attention on the places where Daventry homes tend to show age or alteration. On a terrace in NN11 0, or a house off Ashby Road that has been extended more than once, the weak point is often not the room that looks tired. It is the junction where old materials meet new work.

The report does not stop at naming defects. We explain the construction, the materials, the likely cause of the problem, the repairs needed, and the maintenance that should not be put off. If we find slipped slates, cracked render, damp staining, timber decay or failed flashing, we say what that defect can lead to if it is left alone, because a small repair today can stop a larger repair later. That level of detail is why buyers pay more for Level 3 on older Daventry stock.

There are firm limits, and we keep them clear. We do not carry out destructive investigation, open up the fabric, lift carpets, test electrics or gas, or run a drainage CCTV survey as part of the inspection. Those are specialist follow-ups, which we recommend when the condition of the building points that way. On the new phases at Malabar or the Daventry North East Sustainable Urban Extension, that boundary is especially useful, because a buyer needs to know whether the issue is a snag, a defect, or a job for another expert.

• Roof coverings, chimneys and flashings
• Walls, windows and external joinery
• Loft and accessible sub-floor areas
• Visible services and obvious defects

Daventry does not have one single property profile. You have older homes in the built-up core, later estates across the town, and active schemes such as Malabar, Micklewell Park and the Daventry North East Sustainable Urban Extension, which is planned for 3,400 dwellings, elderly persons accommodation, two new primary schools, a new secondary school, an extension to Daventry Country Park and highway infrastructure. That mix changes the survey work sharply, because the defect profile of a pre-war terrace is nothing like a new phase with solar panels and EV charging points.

On older stock in NN11 0, our surveyors watch for damp bridging, tired roof coverings, chimney movement, rotten timber ends and patch repairs that hide the real issue. Parts of West Northamptonshire also sit on shrinkable clay, so stepped cracking, sticking doors and floor movement need context rather than guesswork. A house with a cellar, a suspended timber floor or hard cement pointing can behave very differently in wet weather, and the report should explain that clearly.

Newer homes bring a different set of questions. At Malabar, Spitfire Homes, Crest Nicholson and Platform Home Ownership are delivering one- to five-bedroom homes, with shared ownership and rent to buy options such as The Granary, The Barley and The Hayloft, while the wider scheme is pushing up to 1,100 homes in total. Micklewell Park off Ashby Road has 450 dwellings, and the Daventry North East site is much larger again, so the checking shifts towards snagging, drainage detail, finish quality and whether the new work sits properly against the old ground levels.

• Damp bridging and condensation in older masonry
• Clay-related movement and stepped cracking
• Flat-roof wear on later additions
• Snagging and finish defects on newer schemes